Method of preparing delta4-pregnenes



Patented July 21, 1953 METHOD OF PREPARING M-PREGNENESi Seymour Bernstein; Pearl River, and lV Iilto'n D. Heller, Monsey, N. Y., assignors .to American Cyanamid Company, New York, 'N.;Y., a, corporation of Maine No Drawing. Application April'f3, 1952, j Serial N0. 280,382 I This invention relates to a method of prep ing steroid compounds. More particularly, .it relates to the preparation of A pregnene-11p,17a,

20192l-tetrol-3-one-20,21diacetate.

Considerable interest has been shown recently in the chemical literature concerning certain; compounds of the steroid field. Compounds having a particular side chain in the 1'7-position and keto or hydroxyl groups in the 3- and ll-positions are of particular interest. One of these compounds which occurs naturally in the adrenal cortex is commonly referred to as cortisone and has been found to be highly active in the treatment of arthritis, rheumatic fever and other pathological conditions broadly classified as rheumatic diseases. The compound cortisone may be described chemically as A -pregnene17a,2l-diol- 3,11,20-trione. A compound related to cortisone, described in the literature as Reichsteins Substance E diacetate, has been isolated from the adrenal cortex. This compound has the following structural formula:

ll c1120 -0113 CHOO move the water formed in the course of the re- 7 action as shown in the example hereinafter.

In carrying out the process of the present invention we prefer todissolve the n -pregnene- 1%,21-diol-3,11,20-trione 3 ethylene ketal-Zlacetate in a solvent such as anhydrous tetrahydroiuran and to react the product in solution with lithium aluminum hydride, also in a suitable solvent. The latter solvent may bean ether such as diethyl ether, dipropyl ether, dibutyl ether, diamyl ether, and the like. The reaction is usu- -4C laims. (o1. ace-$97.4) I

ally complete within a period oi fromminutes to two hours,Iat' atemperatureoi from about C. to about 150 C. The lithium aluminum hydrideisthenfdecomposedwith water and the aluminumhydroxide formed is removed'by filtr'a tion. The reaction product isthen' reacted with tiously decomposed with water. off the aluminum hydroxide, it was washed sevfuric acid for forty minutes.

acetic anhydridein a solvent such as pyridine.

The desired product is recovered from the reac-- tion mixtureby extraction with an organic solvent such as ethyl aceitate. The product is then recovered from the solvent by'removal of the solvent under reduced pressure. A pure product is obtained by recrystallization from an organic solvent or a mixture of, solvents such as ethyl acetate-diethylether.

The'following example illustrates the preparation of Reichsteins substanceliffydiacetate using as a starting material cortisone acetate.

Example A mixture of 2 g. of cortisone acetate in '16 ml. of ethylene glycol and m1. of benzene was distilled for a short time for removal of traces of water. The cortisone acetate during this distillation did not go into solution. Sixty milligrams of paratoluenesulfonic acid monohydrate was added and the mixture was refluxed for 4 hours with constant removal of water. During this time the cortisone acetate dissolved and in a short time thereafter the product separated. It was collected and washed successively with benzene, methanol, dilute methanol, sodium bicarbonate solution, water and methanol. Recrystallization from dilute pyridine and dilute dimethylformamide gave 1.31 g. of A -pregnene-17a,2l-diol-3,11,20-

trione-3-ethylene ketal-21-acetate, melting point tion was refluxed two and one-half hours, cooled,

and the excess lithium aluminum hydride cau- After filtering eral times with ethyl acetate and ether. The combined organic layers were separated from the aqueous phase and the water layer extracted several times with ether and ethyl acetate. The combined organic layers were dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate, filtered and concentrated to give a glass. The glass was refluxed in a solution of ml. of methanol and 13 ml..of

eight and one-half percent (volume/volume) sul- After cooling, the solution was neutralized by adding solid sodium bicarbonate, filtered and the solvents removed under reduced pressure. A small amount of henzene was added and removed under reduced pressure to eliminate traces of water. The solid residue was dissolved in 5 m1. oidry. pyridine and 5 ml. of acetic anhydride in the cold and allowed to stand fifteen hours at room temperature. Water was added and the mixture extracted with ethyl acetate, dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate, filtered and the solvent removed under reduced pressure. Addition of ether'to-the oily residue gave a white solid which was filtered off. Several recrystallizations from ethyl acetateether gave pure M-pregnene-llfi,l7iz,20fi,2ltetrol-3-one-20,21-diacetate, melting point 231"- 232 C., X absolute alcohol. maximum 241: mu, e 241 :15250 3 ;+164.lP (acetone).

We claim: I

1; A method of preparing .the'compound ha ing the formula:

em t m,

which comprises reacting M-pregnene-lhjldiol-3,11,20-tri0ne-3-ethylene ketal-Zl-acetate in solution with lithium aluminum hydride in a solvent and subsequently with acetic anhydride in a solvent. and recovering said compound therefrom;

2. A methodin accordance with claim 1 in which the'initial reactant is dissolved in tetrahydrofuran.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 in which the initial reactant is dissolved in tetrahydrofuran and the lithium aluminum hydride is dissolved in diethyl ether.

4. A method of preparing M-pregnene-ilp, 17a,20}3,21-t6l7l01 3 one- 20,2l-diacetate which comprises heating M-pregnene-l'i'wfi1-diol-3;11, 20-trione-3eethylene ketal-2l-acetate in tetrahydrofuran in the presence of lithium aluminum hydride and diethyl ether. and subsequently reacting the product thereof with acetic anhydride in the presence of pyridine and recovering said compound therefrom.

SEYMOUR BERNSTEIN. MILTON D. HELLER.

No references cited. 

1. A METHOD OF PREPARING THE COMPOUND HAVING THE FORMULA: 